4:25 a.m. good morning. a show of grief and control in north korea's capital as the country's heir apparent leads mourners for the funeral of kim jong-il. we will have the latest. newt gingrich lashes out at mitt romney and ron paul saying he's had enough of his attacks on him. we will hear from the candidates six days before the caucuses. a bumpy consumer confidence is more good news for businesses after a busy holiday shopping season. we will take a look at an economic recovery in 2012. from jerry sandusky to casey anthony, it's been a fascinating year in the courtroom. we will look back at this year's defendants in the news "early" this wednesday morning, december 28th, 2011. captioning funded by cbs

good wednesday morning. i'm erica hill. >> i'm chris wragge. good to have with us this morning. kim jong-il controlled nearly every aspect of life in north korea for 17 years and his final farewell showed that same level of control. lucy kraft has the story use the funeral started at a memorial palace and wound through the main thoroughfares of pyongyang for 20 miles. a portrait of kim jong-il was carried by limousine and another car in the motorcade for the coffin which was wrapped in a red flag. tens of thousands of north koreans, including the military, stood in frigid snowy weather to pay their respects. even the skies were grieving this day.

foreign delegations shut out of the funeral. they said it was a replay of the ceremony held for the previous dictator kim il-sung back in 1994. then as now the event was aimed at not just paying homage to to cement loyalty to his son and a trouble-free transition. in this great the great leader is sim junk un. north korean showed him near the coffin dabbing at tears with his handkerchief. the uncertainty heightens now about whether the young and relatively unprepared third generation of the kim dynasty can stay the course and take the reins of this isolated nuclear armed nation of 24 million. lucy kraft, cbs news, tokyo. tomorrow, north korea will honor kim jong-il again at a national memorial service. in iowa, the republican

presidential race is getting louder and sharper. >> on tuesday, newt gingrich lashed out at mitt romney. first, we go to national correspondent dean reynolds who is covering the gingrich campaign in mason city, iowa. >> reporter: newt gingrich began the last week on the caucuses intent on concentrating on the economy but he detoured along the way into a cat fight with mitt romney. gingrich is still steaming from his failure to round up enough signatures for qualify for the primary in his home state of virginia. gingrich aide said that felt as bad as pearl harbor. but when romney heard that, he pounced. >> i think you compared that to -- was it pearl harbor? i think it's more like lucille ball at the chocolate factory.

you got to get it organized. >> reporter: while it's been enough for gingrich that a romney super pact is spending millions to deflate him. >> newt has more baggage than the airlines. >> reporter: being mocked clearly got under his skin. >> i'd love to have him say that to my fans back up his negative ads and the things his staff has been putting out. if he wants to prove he can debate barack obama, he ought to have the courage on to stand on the same stage with me. >> reporter: not just romney. gingrich is clearly attacked by ron paul who gingrich dismissed tuesday as a serious candidate. >> i think the choice of ron paul or barack obama would be a very bad choice for america. >> reporter: would you run as a third opinion party candidate? >> it's not going to happen. >> reporter: gingrich is on a bus tour through iowa and originally scheduled for 44 cities, the number has been cut in half. another sign that the man who

once looked like a run-away winner here seems to be slowing down. a new fund-raising letter went out this week asking for a strong finishing kick here and a springboard to future contests. and money clearly is an issue with gingrich. listen to the words of that traising letter. it says when we post a big number, it will dispel the notion that this campaign doesn't have the resources necessary to compete nationally. >> dean reynolds in iowa this morning, thanks. also in iowa is chief political correspondent jan crawford who is traveling with the romney campaign. jan, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, chris. this is only romney's eighth visit to iowa this year. he really has downplayed expectations here but his campaign is now seeing an opening as his competitors have gone up in the polls and, of course, gone right back down and romney has remained steady near the top. kicking off a big campaign swing

through iowa, mitt romney kept his focus on barack obama. >> well, mr. president, you've had your moment. we've seen the results and now, mr. president, this is our time. >> reporter: but earlier in new hampshire, romney also took a shot at rival newt gingrich after reports the former house speaker praised romney's massachusetts health care plan before gingrich started running for president and criticizing romney's plan. >> i'm familiar with the fact that he supported individual mandates in the past and was supportive generally of the plan we had in massachusetts, and -- in the election year. >> reporter: a commanding lead in new hampshire, romney today is getting on a bus for iowa in a three-day tour of the state and is making a final push for a strong finish. >> not exactly sure how this is all going to work out, but i think i will get the nomination if we do our job right. >> reporter: another candidate looking to finish strong in iowa, ron paul, now is feeling the heat from some of his

competitors. they focused on foreign policy and hit hard. >> ron paul wouldn't defend the united states of america in the event of a nuclear attack. >> hopefully, folks will take a good, hazard second look before they cast a vote of putting someone in a position to be the left of president obama on national security as the nominee of our party. >> reporter: and staying somewhat above the fray, texas governor rick perry, also on a bus tour, argued elves the true conservative. why would you settle for anything less than an authentic conservative who will fight for your views and values without apology? >> reporter: now all these candidates will be crisscrossing the state this week, meeting with voters and dropping in on diners, coffee shops. romney has an event here later this morning in muscatine and then he goes off to other cities in iowa and it's all in the hopes of a strong finish for the first state for voting in 2012.

>> jan, i want to talk about mitt romney for a second. he focused all of his attention for the most part, on new hampshire and the other primary states and avoided iowa. with his last-second retail pliking push there to make himself available to the people of iowa. why the sudden shift? >> reporter: these candidates try to say iowa doesn't matter. the pundits say it doesn't reflect the broader iowa population. but in the end it is the first state and the candidates can't stay away. no one has made it to the white house of the republican party without winning iowa or new hampshire. romney had a disappointing finish four years ago but i think he is hoping for a better outcome this go around. >> jan crawford in muscatine, iowa, for us this morning. a new report out on consumer confidence which suggests the surge in holiday shopping could last into the new year. >> that is important for all of

us because consumer spending makes up 70% of the u.s. economy. susan mcginnis is in washington with the numbers for us this morning. >> reporter: good morning. this is a very good sign and a very important sign. consumer confidence numbers showing a big jump. it's all about how consumers feel about the economy and their spending, if they feel good about their jobs, their finances and their business, they will spend. so add to that what is, so far, decent holiday shopping season and there is reason to be encouraged. it's a sign things are improving. not just on wall street, but on main street as well. the latest report on consumer confidence shows big spike with an index of 64.5 in december, up from 55.2 just a month ago. more americans think business conditions are good. the job picture is brightening, and that their personal financial situations will keep improving. more upbeat feelings coincide with a jollier holiday shopping

season that brought in early shoppers. the news was less merry for some. sears and k-mart closing of up to 120 stores. >> it's been a difficult time for all retailers but particularly difficult for sears to garner the kind of demand to keep its doors open at all of its stores. >> reporter: some managed better than others. help by the surge in holiday shopping, particularly online. >> target and walmart and am online is a real big winner. 16.4% is the number sales rose online krims day. a huge number. >> reporter: while consumers are gaini ining fate obstacles rema >> i feel badly for the sellers that are losing and feel good for the buyers are making good buys but i think all in all things will be turning around

very soon. >> reporter: as for the bump in holiday shopping, the jury is still out on whether all of that discounting helped or hurt retailers' bottom lines. and economists are joining consumers in their optimism. a new poll out dozens of them find they predict growth will increase in 2012. this is about the improvement in consumer confidence. the overall level of confidence still remains far below where a healthy economy should be. >> susan mcginnis in washington this morning, thanks. here to sort out the latest economic data is mike santoli of barron's. let's start with the good news. consumer confidence tros 64.5 this month beating economists expectations. how important is this number and what does it mean in the big picture? >> it's much more of reflection of the fact the economic data has proofed. i think consumer confidence is overestimated in terms of what consumers are going to do and what they say and do is not some of the good news within

this report were that the assessment of consumers of the labor market was at its highest since the financial crisis in early '09 as was the assessment of the present condition. in april, we had a similar consumer confidence level overall. but mostly it was about what we think things are going to get better. >> people focusing on the positive but this is one month. how much of this could be tied to the holidays and it's not a best indicator because people not always do what they say. >> april, we had a similar level. it's nor about the fact that things have stopped getting worse. you know? the unemployment rate has declined and, more importantly, i think, weekly unemployment claims have broken over their trend the last few years. i think they are saying things have stopped slipping. >> housing market, there hasn't been a good sign there in ages. 19 of the top 20 markets show prices declining. once again, the composite index dropped 1.2%. is this going to ever turn

around? >> this is a slow indicator to come around. i don't think prices will lead us out of the housing slump. it's activity. the amount of turnover because of affordability rates are high and new housing starts. those things have started to improve. prices and especially in this 20 metropolitan area measure have not been there. i think a long slow bottoming process. >> the housing market and consumer confidence are tied. you have to feel confident even if you've been in your job 20 years and some people don't feel confident buying a new home. >> you look at what your neighbor's home sold for and if it was not a satisfying number in your head it's going to weigh on you for sure. >> what rebecca jarvis talked about sears and k-mart closing the stores. 400,000 stores in the chain but 120 still is a big number and a lot of jobs will be lost. >> without a doubt. this is one of the victims of the consumer slump that has been in place for a few years now. not enough dollars to go around

to service the build pup. sears biggest seller of appliances in the country and it's, obviously, not kept pace with the targets and the walmarts and the online of the world. now again, you mentioned it's a huge installed base. this is a small retrenchment but definitely going to hurt. >> what about looking forward to 2012? what are the thoughts on job growth? you said we've seen things get less worse basically. >> the economy has more momentum going into 2012. domestically. the problem is every time we have gotten a head of steam up oil prices have gone up or reflect that global demand or the european debt crisis causes jitters in the economy. china is looking at potentially a steep slowdown. the global growth picture doesn't look great. domestically looking like a safe harbor but the other things are the risks developing in 2012. >> nice to have you. >> good to see you republican jeff glor is at the news desk with a check of today's headlines for us. in our news here, iran is

threatening to cut off oil to the west of new sanctions are put on their oil shipments. iranian officials will close the hormuz strait to oil. saudi arabia says the gulf oil nations are ready to cut off any crude. a center of the uprising against bashar al assad, human rights group says syria's military is holding hundreds of detainees on bases off limits to the monarch. hosni mubarak is on trial for murder accused of ordering attacks on protesters earlier this year. he was forced from office in march. a southwest airlines jet blew two tires on takeoff last night from sacramento, california. it was on a flight to seattle on the runway when the tires blew

and the pilot hit the brakes. 137 people on board and no one hurt. a storm system hit the northeast with heavy rain strong winds. on new york's long island, the powerful winds sheared off a roof of an airport hanger as you can see and ten-story canvas billboard in times square was ripped down. america's most famous chimp has died. cheetah said to be in some of the original tarzan movies. there he is. cheetah once live with johnny weismiller, the original tarzan and moved to an animal sanctuary in florida where he, indeed, lived the good life. not only did cheetah play the piano, he even got chauffeured around town. the animal sanctuary says cheetah was 80 years old. time for weather. no

still ahead this morning, is it time for you to run a small business? we will tell you what need to think about before becoming your own boss. uproar in israel. men harassed girls and even spitting on them for not following the strictest religious customs. we will take a look. you're watching "the early show" on cbs.

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talk about a busy year in the world of law and justice. conrad murray now behind bars and casey anthony and amanda knox free. that is just the beginning. >> yes. we will take a look at those cases and look at more with our legal analyst jack ford. plenty to talk about. as a matter of fact we may have to extend this segment to 3.5 to 4 minutes. that is news that took up live time this year. when we come back, we will talk about that with jack ford. announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by the u.s. postal service. what's going on? we ordered a gift online and we really need to do something with it... i'm just not sure what... what is it? oh just return it. returning gifts is easier than ever with priority mail flat rate boxes from the postal service. if it fits, it ships anywhere in the country for a low flat rate. plus i can pick it up for free. perfect because we have to get that outta this house. c'mon, it's not that... gahh,

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♪ welcome back to "the early show." sun rising on this wednesday morning. i'm chris wragge, along with erica hill. coming up, japan's earthquake and tsunami happened thousands of miles from the u.s. but ten months later, experts think some of the bits and pieces from some of those disasters are already wash up on shores. >> the question is what else will we find and how much of it? also could any of that debris be carrying radiation or other dangers? we will check in with a leading oceanographer about that ahead. this past year, from new york to louisiana and perugia, italy, and even state college,

pennsylvania. >> jack ford is here to look back on crime and punishment in the past year. >> we have been busy during the course of this year. >> the most recent one and the one we are still talking about because it's ongoing, penn state, jerry sandusky. why does this stand right now? >> right now the case has moved forward as much as it can before the next step which is a trial. a lot of people looking at this say, wow, this case. breath-taking speed. you can expect a couple of trials. he will probably be tried separately and the two penn state officials tried separately. you're talking about at least a year or so. maybe even longer. they a they are complicated trials. >> another big case was casey anthony who is currently serving probation right now. . she was really kind of -- i think leach felt she was guilty from the get-go.

>> they did. i think the take-away we should not have been so surprised that casey anthony walked out of that courtroom not guilty of the murder and the reason is that people were confusing. the notion of proving that she was probably a terrible mother and maybe even a despicable person according to a lot of people's opinions, with proving that she committed a murder. it is very hard. not impossible, but very hard to get a murder conviction when you can't prove a cause or manner of death and you remember the medical examiner said from the beginning given the unfortunate situations, they couldn't determine how the child died. if you can't prove that, i've handled 30 cases as a prosecutor or defense attorney. the jury said in our gut we might have felt something but unless you can't prove to us beyond a reasonable doubt we can't say she is guilty. >> also strong reactions to

amanda knox who is now home in seattle after spending years in prison in italy. >> the fascinating thing about the amanda knox case as much as we admire our justice system, wesh, it's a marvelous system. it has plaflaws but a march loe system. the italian appeal process is basically a brand-new trial. not here. our appeal appellate process you go before a panel of usually three judges and argue legally what is wrong. she got to bring in new witnesses ad the court brought in court-appointed witnesses that swung the deal for amand knox. the entire italian system i'm sure she praised daily for given her that second chance of exoneration here. >> dominique strauss-kahn was there another case of a rush to judgment? >> you probably look at it and say, yes, except from the

prosecutor's perspective, i'm sure she will ply what could we have done? he was literally on a plane heading back and would france have extradited him if they charged him? people are not so sure. i think they did what they had to do and found out the case was not what they think was going to be in the beginning and people who try cases for a living know is haps happens in a while. >> real quickly. conrad murray found guilty of manslaughter. when do we expect him to be out? >> the whole system out there, it will be weeks than months, rather than the years he has been sentenced. >> we will talk about that with you in 2012. >> thank you. here is jeff glor at the news desk with a check of today's other headlines for us. north korea said farewell to king jong-il. state people showed people overcome with emotion. north korea is taking two days for the death of the man who called himself the supreme

leader. a national memorial service is planned for tomorrow. nato says three of its troops were killed yesterday in pafghanistan. the taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and says it targeted a u.s. convoy. nebraska senator ben nelson announced he is going to retire next year. the 70-year-old nelson is the lone democrat in nebraska's five-member congressional delegation. president obama and daughters malia and sasha enjoying the beaches of hawaii and visited sealife park

up next, most small businesses fail in the first five years. >> our goal is to not let that happen to you. we will tell you this morning what you need to know to make yours a success. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. ow your mom, she's always like... i want egg whites, grilled not fried and i want a salad and i want whole wheat, hold the mayo and... sugar free wife you better eat more fiber. wife. fewer calories. can i get a glass of wife. hi mom! honey, hey we were just talking about you. there's something for everyone at denny's introducing fitfare with better for you options like the new fit slam. denny's america's diner is always open. egg white. thcare professional with va. with our advanced technology and the care we provide, our work truly fulfills america's promise to our veterans. (announcer) learn more about careers with today's va

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this morning, we look at what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. on tuesday, we spoke with two women who started their own companies and weathering the tough economy. cbs news business and economics correspondent rebecca jarvis has what you need to know before taking the plunge. good morning. >> good morning. >> what is the first question? i guess the most important question you need to ask yourself before you embark on an endeavor like this? >> number one thing, do i have the stomach for this? the reality is that 9 out of 10 businesses fail in their first five years. it is literally like having a child. starting a business is a full-time responsibility and it's not like a full-time job. it takes even more of you. now, that's not to discourage people from going after their dream, but the to say it takes

absolutely everything that one can give and you have to have the stomach for that. >> in looking at the numbers, the odds are not in your favor. >> they are not. >> as far as the responsibility, because there is so much responsibility that comes with this, i guess how do you know if you can shoulder this type of responsibility? >> you have to think about are you comfortable with shouldering multiple responsibilities. if you're starting a business, chances are, you are your only employee or you have few employees in the beginning. that means you have to be your chief marketing person and chief salesperson and you might have been the receptionist and piecing the product in the beginning. you are literally juggling everything and if you're not comfortable with juggling multiple type of responsibilities that is a big red flag for somebody to think about starting a business, you have to know that you're willing to do it and you have to be a god decision-maker. everything is going to fall our shoulders. >> exactly. no other person to go to. it's all on you. >> right. >> how important is it in choosing type of business that you do decide to start out? >> here is the thing. it's important for multiple

reasons and some less obvious than others. you have to love it because you are dedicating your life to it and have to have other people love it. how many are out there doing the same thing and selling what you are selling at the same price? as far as market research goes, steve jobs didn't have market research to say, this is an apple iphone and people want this. instead, he went with a vision. so that is also an important part of this. you have to love it and have a vision and sometimes that vision is something different than what is already in the marketplace and that is a good thing. >> the entrepreneurs we talked with yesterday talked about money and i think we have enough money, we don't have enough money as we thought. how much does that come into play when you figure out how much money do i need to start up my own business? >> money can be very important, but depending on the business, it plays a different role. for example, mark zuckerberg started facebook with a thousand dollar donation from a friend of his and he got more money down

the road. mean is not only only important from the perspective how much money does it take to start this business but how much money do i need to continue my lifestyle the way it exists right now? can i survive on making no paycheck in my business happens to not turn out a profit right away? >> and you've got enough savings to get by without a paycheck. these are the things you have to think about. can you cover your expenses, like you mentioned. how long can you cover your expenses. so many different factors that come into play here. >> think about a time frame too. when you start a business, sometimes you have to start at the outset saying this is the amount of time i can dedicate to this before i have to say, okay, maybe i'm looking at for another job in the work force, or let's expand and grow from here. >> how about resources for people thinking about taking on something like this? >> i reached out to a number of small businesses i'm in regular contact with. on twitter, there were some great responses. diane white says she uses a handful of things. she says i love american express

open. also entrepreneur and inc. magazine and their web sites. both of those web sites are wonderful resources for small businesses. there are areas where people who are in small businesses come and share their best practices. another entrepreneur says that minicarter 01 i would say for us the small business resources we use to grow are google apps, word press, facebook and the iphone. google apps are a free way to if you don't have the money to invest up front in technology, a great way for anyone running a small business to share information. also wordpress is a preblogging site on the internet. then you also have the iphone which mimi says is a great way for her business to stay mobile and least expensive. she has ran the numbers and the least expensive way for them to be mobile as a company. >> that is key when you start out like you mentioned. the failure rate is so high. you have to save as many money to get this thing up and running when you can.

>> that is a good point. save where you can. >> rebecca jarvis, thanks. great tips. we will be right back. this is "the early show" on cbs. jamie lee curtis?? oh, hi, yes...wow, you really went all out on the decorations, huh?! yeah, but i'm so slow taking them down after all the fatty holiday food. but that's normal. what do you mean that's normal? it doesn't have to be. to me, normal, means feeling good inside. not slow. try some activia. activia helps with occasional irregularity, when eaten 3 times a day. keep a video diary and let me know about your new normal. love your new normal or it's free. so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card.

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act now, go to alz.org. this morning, israel's government is taking sides against extremistextremists. >> protests by some women in one town. on tuesday, there was a protest against the protesters. now allen pizzey has more. >> reporter: the demonstrations had support ranging from all walks of israeli life, all but one. sparked by a documentary on this 8-year-old girl testify terrified to walk to town. >> we will walk just a little bit, okay? >> reporter: the family are other doxed jews who immigrated to israel from chicago but they are not good enough for the residence debts of their time.

the girl was spit at. her mother called a whore. the ultra other drthodox insist women become completely covered. when anne hoffman was pulled by one passenger, we don't care about the law. there is the law of torra. the ultra orthodox base everything on the jiewish bible. the ultra religious have an extremely high birth rate and wield disproportionate political power through the coalition governments. that is one reason israel authorities have been reluctant to crack down but spitting on a child will change that. opposition leaders tzipi livni said they were struggling for

the character of israel. the character almost the extreme fear will become more extreme. allen pizzey, cbs news, rome. >> israel cabinet minister who belongs to a ultra. some of the debris from japan tsunami and earthquake is washing up in the u.s. this is "the early show" on cbs. nyquil: you know i relieve coughs, sneezing, fevers?

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♪ welcome back to "the early show." i'm chris wragge along with erica hill. ahead, a different kind of game. ben witter is called the best trick shot golfen and he has a bouncy ball. perhaps using a ball with a hammer instead of a club. why not some it's a lot of fun to watch and he makes it look very easy. >> this morning, he is going to tell us all about it. how easy it is. it doesn't look that easy but he makes it look easy but it's not. another story about a long battle with cancer and managed to stay on top of his game in

spite of the hardships. >> it's been ten months since japan's devastating tsunami and much of the debris from that disaster ended out in the pacific ocean where ocean currents have been driving some of it toward the u.s. >> leigh cowan reports. >> homes, cars, boats. the fabric of people's lives washed out to sea last month. no one knows exactly how much. but what scientists do know the prevailing winds and currents may carry some of that debris to the west coast of the united states. >> we're at the beginning of the beginning. >> reporter: this oceanographer says the wave is almost mere. fishing buoys washed ashore between oregon and alaska. the rest remains in a huge

debris floating field. >> i thought it would be months before it hit hawaii. >> reporter: some scientists are skeptical saying there is floating wreckage from japan but noaa says no evidence it's in a massive clump heading our way. no doubt the debris is washing ashareholder but proving it's associated to the tsunamiy is a problem. >> the tsunami added potentially significant amount of debris to that problem but fingerprinting it back is a problem. >> reporter: scientists agree on one thing. the tsunami wandered the oceans for years and ever present reminder the power of nature. lee cowan, cbs news, los angeles. joining us now is oceanographer curt ebbesmeyer and tracking pacific ocean

debris for years. >> sir, good to have you with us this morning. those buoys that were reported to you, did they come from japan? >> yes, we have reports, we have sent the reports to japan and oyster farmers have positively identified their buoys. so we know that quite a few of them are from oyster farms. >> curt, besides the buoys, what other things are washing up on shore and where abouts? >> they are fishy buoys of styrofoam, black plastic and orange shape and washing up in oregon. >> put this in perspective for us. there is is a lot of stuff not just in the pacific ocean but in waters all around the world that gets carried around the globe by these currents. so i would imagine that you had been expecting this? >> yes, the debris that goes out in the ocean, some of it sticks

up high in the water above the water and the winds catch it and sail it across the water like a party balloon on the lake. what happens is the stuff that sticks out of the water blows at about 20 to 30 miles per day, whereas the stuff that hunkers down in the water only goes at 7. so the thing to remember is that the debris has lots of different speeds. >> can i just ask you about some of the markings on the buoys that you were able to determine that they were actually a result from the tsunami? >> yes. go ahead. >> was it the fact -- was it that obvious when these buoys -- i mean, are there japanese markings we know for sure these are actual a result from the tsunami in japan? >> that's a good question, chris. it's hard to tell what is tsunami debris and when we started seeing these big black buoys washing up, i didn't know what they were and i worked with kyoto news which is the associated press of japan. i sent pictures over to key owe

take and they, in turn, contacted the fisheries people who are devastated by the tsunami and they said, oh, yeah, those came from our oyster farms. the point is we have been seeing these buoys sporadically for years but never seen them arrive in such numbers all at one time. >> that is the change. quickly. only 15 seconds. is there any cause for certain in terms of radiation? >> i think it's a matter of prudence. we have tested the air for radioactivity from fukushima. i think we just need to test the water. >> dr. curt ebbesmeyer, thank you for your time. >> thank you. it's a pleasure. here is jeff glor at the news desk with a check of today's other headlines for us. in our news. hope for job seekers. the job search website career builder surveyed 3,000 hiring managers from coast-to-coast and found 16% plan to add permanent full-time workers in 2012 up a modest 2% from last december. a public memorial will be

held tomorrow for north korean leader kim jong-il. this morning, under snowy skies, the procession moved through the capital. state tv showed many people lining the streets overcome with emotion. the iowa caucuses, republican presidential hopeful, including newt gingrich who launched a new round of criticism of ron paul and mitt romney yesterday. romney is on a 22-city bus tour. as for his part, romney began a three-day bus tour in iowa today. the his remains highly unsett d unsettled.

announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by party city. nobody has more new year's for less. up next, he is a world class golf shot artist but ben witter's biggest challenge is cancer. >> he is not the only one in his family. we will show you how the family is handling it when we come back on "the early show." [ female announcer ] lactaid milk is easy to digest.

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[ male announcer ] big mac and mac snack wrap. the simple joy of one-of-a-kind flavor. hey, mom? what? pay you? for what? for unloading the dishwasher?! kid, you need to pay me for making this delicious -- whoa. hold on there, mom. kitchen counselor. um, mom, i think what she means is "greasy dishes." yeah. in fact, check it out. cascade complete pacs are the ones with the real liquid top. they fight tough greasy messes better than the other tablet, which can leave more tough grease behind. oooh, clean. there's only one cascade. love it, or your money back. in this morning's "healthwatch," staying in the game. ben witter is the impolgolf wor number one trick shot artist

even though fighting cancer. >> health issues dominate his life but only off the course as jim axelrod found. >> reporter: at first glass, ben witter appears to be a typical golfer but look closer. he is using a hammer as a club. blasting a drive from atop a bouncy ball. even through a piece of plywood. no years he has been making the seemingly impossible possible. in the golf world, witter is considered the tiger woods of trick shots. a skill he spent more than two decades honing. >> i love getting the golf balls and doing the tricks. so much fun. >> reporter: for the 48-year-old, it wasn't always this way. growing up, he was dominant on the course. a heralded golfer, possibly headed for the professional tour. until he received the news that would change his life. >> the first diagnosis was in

1988 with cancer of the upper jaw. >> reporter: that diagnosis would begin a lifelong battle with cancer. >> in 2005, with the lung cancer in the left lung. 2009 was the diagnosis of the lower jaw cancer and then just recently back in may was the diagnosis of the cancer in the brain and the chest and abdomen. >> reporter: through it all, witter turned to golf to keep his mind and body focused on recovery. >> in the middle of radiation treatment, i'm taking a ball and hacking it up and down for hours on end. you know, one, i did it for eight straight hours. when i saw that people would watch me and get excited about what i was doing, that gave me the enthusiasm and energy to try to learn something new every

day. >> reporter: about wthat, a career was born. >> never in a million years would i dream that i could find a career in doing trick shots. i didn't know it was possible. and one tournament led to another tournament and then a few months and then before you know it, i got an agent and the agent started pushing me into events all over the world. >> reporter: he became a one-man traveling show that would include his wife anne and their five children. >> i'm trying to have the attitude that instead of why me? i just say, you know, try me. and kind of make that my goal in life, try to figure out how to get through the next battle. >> reporter: the next battle came this past april when his 16-year-old daughter gabby was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that affects 400 americans every year. >> there was a lump on my rib,

and on my right. it was painful and it kind of went -- like came and went for a couple of years and then in april, it just got so bad that we got it checked out and then removed. >> she has seen he can do it and living with this cancer and fighting it for this many years and i think it gave her courage. >> reporter: gabby is in remission but ben witter's long-term prognosis is not nearly as good. >> i've accepted the fact i'm fighting this the rest of my life. >> reporter: still, witter is undeterred. he plans on training the next generation of golfers and continue swinging at the obstacles life throws his way. >> gabby witter has finished her chemo treatments and resting at home. doctors are hope a new form of

radiation will help eliminate ben's tumors. >> whatever is bothering you, whatever, it's a nice departure from your troubles. if you've seen him, having worked on the tour a number of years when i was a sportscaster, he is out of this world. quite a guy. >> and what a role model for gabby as well. one of the hollywood's 25 most influential people. >> he says he owes it all to his mom. he is going to share his inspiring story with us ahead. you're watching "the early show" on cbs. announcer: this portion of "the early show" sponsored by lipitor. i took some steep risks in my teens. i'd never ride without one now. and since my doctor prescribed lipitor, i won't go without it for my high cholesterol and my risk of heart attack. why kid myself? diet and exercise weren't lowering my cholesterol enough. now i'm eating healthier, exercising more, taking lipitor.

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from a tiny town in mississippi, sam haskell was an agent for bill cosby and dolly parton and ray romano.

>> a couple of years ago, sam gave credit for his enormous credit for his mom with a best selling memoir, "promises i made my mother. >> it's in its third printing and all of its proceeds go to charity. good to have you here, sam. >> thanks. >> you were named one of the 25 influential people in television. is that because of you or your mom. >> i think the lessons i learned from my mother as a little guy. lessons that were so simple and profound in their execution and to be able to use her lessons in my business world was amazing. and, you know, when that list came out, i have to tell you, i got the call from the publisher of "tv week." i thought they were calling me because leslie moonves was on the list. they said he is on the list but they said so are you! >> you said les, you need to

give me a quote about me. me. >> we have been good friends for years and we always say nice things about each other for years. >> what are the promises you made to your mother? >> i think you have to get children to learn is respect and honest and character and my mother said character is what you are in the dark. as a little boy, i didn't really understand that and lie awake at night wondering what that meant. about the middle of my teenage years i figured out what it was about. it meant to stand up and be responsible and she didn't have tell me to study for my test any more and what time football practice was any more. i took responsibility and i realized that is what she was trying to teach me. >> what was it about this woman, though, that it sounds as though she was very profound in her teachings with you. >> we all need someone who makes us feel special and there was not a day in my life my mother did not say to me as i left the house, remember, you're special. and i think when kids are

looking for something to hold on to, that that kind of self-esteem when you have a parent or a coach or a teacher or a minister who makes you feel special, that's what carries you through and that is what my mother did for me and when i would walk around in mississippi with my tv guide in my hand saying when i grow up, i'm going to go to hollywood. i'm sure everyone there said, bless his heart. my mother said you never know what this child might do. you never know. >> look what that thiled dichil. you say the lessons from your mother helped you be real consistent in hollywood. that seems from the outside it could be a very difficult thing to do. >> it is. hollywood can make the most secure person feel insecure. and she used to say to me, if you can find a place to stand in the light and be consistent, people will be drawn to you, because the inconsistent elements are those that drive you crazy.

but if you can be the consistent element, they will suddenly hover around you and become more consistent in your world. and i think that is what worked for me. i had this great upbringing in mississippi and i really credited that upbringing and my mother's lessons with teaching me how to be consistent for those who need it most and that is why it worked. >> were you able to incorporate it with what you did? you work at many powerful agency and representing all of these powerful people and all of these egos and the money and the trappings that come in living in hollywood. how were i able to stay even keeled in all accounts a guy's guy? >> well, being consistent is the beginning of that. but also finding understanding. and we may not like what we see and hear in the world around us but if we can understand it, somehow we can get through it. i think that is what i try to do, not only with my clients and network and studio sxufexecutiv but with my family and friends. i try to be understanding and find something to relate to that

will get me through whatever the situation is and that works. >> you're done now with that world for the most part. >> for the most part. >> you miss it? >> i miss some of my friends and a lot of my clients still call me a lot. i was just on with ray romano to tell him i would be on here today. he wrote the foreword. tives it was him at his best trying to explain. i authored a book and try to turn into a movie and we just hired a writer to start work on that. i run the miss america pageant. >> that's a rough gig? >> 91st miss america pageant, how about that? i'll be doing that in las vegas in a couple of weeks. >> can we expect a fourth printing? >> i'd like to think you can. i've been all over with this book. i never dreamed the response to my mother's lesson would be so

strong. >> what a great legacy for her too. thanks for coming in. >> thank you. >> you

♪ half past the hour as we welcome you back to "the early show." i'm erica hill, along with chris wragge. talking trash in rome. big debate over a landfill which is to open in february where a legend emperor of rome lived 800 years ago. some are upset. tons of waste will be buried so close to the historical complex. take you there on a trip morning. these high school players are winners in a very different game.

they are part of a program that introduces disadvantaged youth to polo and this year, they had-incredible season. they will tell us about their amazing ride to -- >> i think my favorite story of the day. looking forward to that. first, imagine you or your child be told you could be a model. >> susan koeppen of our pittsburgh station has more. >> reporter: 14-year-old jennifer case was told she has what it takes to be a model. a scout had approached her and her mother at a mall in new jersey. it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. >> she kept saying, jennifer has the look. oh, the look for a lot of companies. they are going to like her. >> reporter: but to get started, they were told they needed to pay $875 for a photo shoot and another $300 to post the shots on the company's website. >> they said that, you know, she would get jobs out of it and the jobs make money. >> reporter: but more than six

months later, not one call for a modeling job. >> i spent all this money and absolutely nothing has come out of it. >> reporter: the same thing happened to robert anderson from los angeles. he paid $800 for photos from a model management company. >> they had told me make the money back in the first monday, we will call you all the time. probably every week you'll get a call for some type of job. >> reporter: but anderson never got any work as a model. >> i got hooked and sucked in basically. >> reporter: the better business bureau says it's received 2,000 complaints the past three years from consumers who feel ripped off by modeling agencies. the top complaint? paying large fees for head shots but getting little or no modeling work in return. >> the talent scam industry is an epidemic. >> reporter: los angeles due to city attorney mark lambert has been battling fraud in the modeling industry for a decade. never ask a model to pay money up front.

penny, there is something wrong there and you you shouldn't do it. >> reporter: we went behind the scenes where models of all sizes and faces auditioned to be in a national advertising campaign. >> first you have to figure out if you have what it takes to be a model. >> reporter: the casting director says it doesn't ripper a lot of money spend on pictures. you don't have to have a a lot of of expensive photos to go into a modeling agency saying i have what it takes? >> you need five or six pictures of you that your friends take. it doesn't have to be in a studio. it can be outside. >> reporter: if people have big modeling sdredreams, there will scammers ready to take advantage of them. >> first big red flag is if people want a lot of money. >> i'm embarrassed and i fell for it but i'm taking it as a lesson learned, an expensive lesson learned. >> reporter: susan koeppen, cbs news, new york. >> robert anderson got his money

back from the company that approached him, and the company was prosecuted and new york's attorney general office has been investigating 200 complaints about the company that eileen case was taken advantage of. here is jeff glor at the news desk with a final check of today's other headlines for us. good morning. in our news here, a southwest airlines jet taking off from sacramento, california, for seattle last night did not get very far. boeing 737 blew two tires during hits takeoff run. the pilot hit the brakes. rescue crews called in and firefighters put down foam. no fire. none of the people on board hurt but relieved passengers described the incident. >> for about halfway down the runway, all of a sudden a lot pop. plane started shaking and set the nose back down and said we retired. >> we were going fast and a popping sound. >> have a good story to tell on

facebook. >> federal investigators are investigating that. a candlelight vigil say 9-year-old girl was killed by her babysitter. her mother was there as a crowd made a memorial of teddy bears. 40-year-old michael plumadore said he hurt the 9-year-old with a brick. the community had been searching for the little girl since she went missing on from. >> how can you sit in that trailer knowing what you did and what is in your household when serve out here walking and calling her name, praying to god that she comes home alive and you're sitting there knowing everything. >> neighbors say the trailer park where lemon lived has multiple sex offenders. overnight, stormy weather in the northeast. powerful winds tore a roof off a hangar in rhode island, new york, there. 60-mile-an-hour winds were

recorded. it ripped down a canvas in times square. heavy rain to the philadelphia area yesterday. today, the storm has moved north. ankle angkl elvis, the croc in australia, is angry. he is 16 feet long. that is not him. he weighs more than a thousand tons. he lives in a reptile park near sydney. yesterday he took exception to a lawn mower and suddenly snatched it. come on, elvis. there he is. show yourself. >> took me into the drink with him. it happened that fast and that stairy but i'm glad to be alive. >> there he is. elvis is back in his pen. workers used kangaroo meat to lure elvis away from this lawn mower. he lost two teeth. big dude. >> not a peanut butter and what? >> do crocodiles like peanut

butter? >> elvis did. fried peanut butter. >> oh, that's right. >> the real elvis. >> elvis trivia. >> you want to toss it if you're thinking about planning that next trip, there are the usual destinations, hawaii, the caribbean, vegas. but if you're in the market for a little something different, maybe a place the neighbors haven't already been, we have the men to help you with that.

"travel" editor peter greenberg is here with great tips for 2012. these are your travel hot spots for 2012. first one on the list is cuba. you can go to cuba now. a but but you can. >> not that big of a but the. the obama administration started relaxing the rules and anybody can go if they go as a part of a religious or educational group. you can researching the mojito. >> sign me up. >> a lot of people are. over 300 flights now on scheduled carriers between miami and havana every month. people don't know they can go. that is what is going on now. now in the next year, it's going to open up even more. >> what is the big benefit to going? what is the attraction in cuba? what do you like about it? >> you get to see a place that hasn't changed that much before

50 years. it's before starbucks. >> myanmar, burma, is on your list. >> it can break down barriers and open up doors. the most recent visit of secretary of state clinton proved that point. they need this to drive their economy. you go to the former rangoon. amazing history there. they are now giving 14-day visa, include, before, only seven. you can see the country now. they are realizing travel could be trumping them. >> if you look at europe, maybe different. try montenegro. >> it's croatian without the tourists. emergency a place with great hiking and skiing and great resorts. 117 beaches in this small, little country and cool place and easy to get to. >> love that.

morocco, you say a good year to go. >> it's affordable and exotic and they have done a makeover and come into the 21st century without losing their heritage. easy to fly to. a word about casablanca. you bland there to get out of casablanca. here is the news. there is no rick's casino or salve fa cafe. it's not there. a cool place to go is tanjeree. >> chile? >> it has everything. patagonia and lake district out of santiago. easy to do and the wine district is great too. >> you recommend the three p's. portugal. >> portugal is the king of the dead empire. you say, hey, what is going on?

they just had their economic melt down which means it's a buyer's market for us. great places to go and great food and great history. we talked about in the three p's. portland, oregon. >> beautiful city. >> it's green, affordable and it's underrated. catch this. no sales tax. no food and beverage tax which means when i say affordable. >> you mean affordable. >> portland, maine, is gorgeous. >> it's edgy and hip and got a typical new england coastal community and everything is there and very affordable. dinner on the night there is like $34. it's everything. versus other cities where it's like $64. >> wow. some cities you pay $34 for an entree which is a bit much. >> you're talking lobster dinner for $34. >> my husband is waiting to get signed up. peter, thanks. rome is a city full of history going back more than

2,000 years and also a city full of trash that has to go somewhere. now much of it is heading to a spot right next to a famous historical site called hadrian's villa and italians are making a big stink over it. >> this was built to escape the foul air of rome. 18 centuries later, the stench is about to be brought here. city officials issued a form of decree declared an emergency to establish a landfill within sniffing distance of his home. the neighbors, of course, object. but this is more than just another case of not in my backyard. this backyard happens to be a world her stitage site and some the neighbors are heritage as well. this is an actor and environment i- >> this is one of the most precious eras from an world from an archaeological point of view and completely destroyed by than

rubbish dump. >> reporter: described as perhaps the most complex and important example of roman architecture survived to the present day, the 250-acre site is bigger than the more famous pompeii. the original complex had palaces and temples and libraries and the dump site will cover more than 400 achres. >> probably all of the international guests and everybody will have to have a mask if the wind blows that direction. >> reporter: the garbage trucks are scheduled to start arriving in the new year. unless the prince and his neighbors can prevail. in some ways, history is on their side. prince rabono is a decentened of the john paul, ii viii including going to war with venus and two other city states including

tuesday ck tuscany. >> they say there is an emergency and so we have to put it somewhere. that's the excuse. the reality is that rubbish, it's a big, big, big business. you make a lot, a lot of money. >> reporter: the city claims to recycle but italy's leading environmental group says 80% of rome's garbage still ends up in landfills. that lack of environmental concern has even turned an ancient center into a modern joke. everything official in rome bears the initial spqr short for [ speaking in foreign language ] the senate and people of rome. today, spqr is often translated as [ speaking in foreign language ] they are pigs, these romans. it wasn't always that way. ancient romans can clean water and carried by aqueducts that still function. this one is linked to famous roman fountains but the source

is in the poor soil under the future landfill site and risks being polluted. a huge sway that farmlands will be endangered. one family productiving the finest cheese here for three generations. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> reporter: we have invested everything in this place she says. this is our only work. the kind of work that is being abandoned in italy. they can't go to the the lengths hadrian did to eliminate the garbage but they think nobody should bow to a modern empeerial career. >> this is not the first time that garbage has not become a hot political issue in italy. in 2007 trash collectors in naples stopped picking up trash and it took three and a half years to clean up the city. a lot of garbage. up next the story of three

we love bringing you great stories about people making a difference, about kids overcoming their odds. and perhaps sometimes those are a little unusual stories. pairings you wouldn't pair to go, polo and inner city kids. >> but the game has become their inspirational and steve hartman has this wonderful story. >> reporter: like a lot of kids that grow up on viola street, the kids you're about to meet one was born. >> all of that negativity. >> reporter: kareem rosser knew his odds weren't good.

>> i knew when i found the stable, that was my way out. >> reporter: shoveling poop was your way out? >> it was. >> reporter: at least it was a start. when kareem was 8 he joined a nonprofit stable founded by leslie hiner. the last 15 years or so, leslie has been making kids a deal. work around the stable and can you ride and if you really want to be adventurous like kareem, you can play the sport of kings. >> we're the only inner city african-american polo team in the country! >> reporter: you heard right. she said polo. that sport traditionally for the rich, the famous, and if i may be blunt, the white. >> i knew nothing about polo, never heard the word. ralph lauren polo. >> reporter: this year's team includes kareem and demar and their friend brandon who grew up

down the block on viola street. they compete in a league where they have three strikes against them. their practice field is a rudi old baseball diamond and their equipment is older than kirt and their polo ponies are racetrack rejects. >> we practice on some of the worst horses. in the past, leslie says that has made it very hard for her teams to win. >> just spanked us week after week. >> reporter: but after three years competing, something amazing happened. they actually won a game. it was against a girls team, but they won, nonetheless. and over the next ten years, they have continued to improve. >> we are so ambitious and we always, we want it. >> reporter: which brings us back to kareem and company. believe it or not, this year, the work to ride team made it all the way to the national championship game! >> they played so hard. >> reporter: despite being just three kids from the hood or maybe because of it. >> these kids can read each other like a book. >> reporter: they won!

24-17. the boys from viola street are the new high school polo champions! proving, once again, that unless you're playing baseball, three strikes doesn't have to mean you're out. >> great story. >> i love that story. >> yep. good luck to those kids down there. >> absolutely. >> steve hartman never disappoints. >> one of our favorite colleagues here at cbs news department. >> as you can see, we have taken up drinking here on the set! just like the old days when we had the booze out here. >> we had a little bubbly sent out by our executive producer and the folks on the floor because this is the last day the three of us are together on "the early show." >> changes are coming with the new year. what i'd like to do before we say anything is wish the both of you the best of luck and i mean that from the bottom of my heart. i know great things are ahead for you guys and i wish you the best and i'll be watching. >> same to you, my friend. you are a class act all the way. >> here is a toast to the new year, to the new name, the new set, all of the changes coming here at cbs and all of the good

people that have been involved with this show we want to thank everyone. >> and old friends who will remain friends. >> i'll be at cbs as well. not like i'm going anywhere. >> we will be bugging you on the second floor. >> everybody out there, thank you. have a great day, everybody. your local news is coming up next. we will see you soon. have a great holiday season. ♪ you waited to the beat you could have had it ♪ ♪

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